Cleaning Emeralds, Can An Emerald Be Put In An Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner. Important Advice.

Can Emeralds Be Cleaned In An Ultrasonic Cleaner

When most of us hear that emeralds have a hardness rating of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, we seem to take the durability of the gemstone for granted. Unfortunately, it is the lack of complete knowledge of emeralds that increases the possibility of emeralds or emerald jewelry getting damaged during the cleaning process. That you will occassionally need to clean your jewelry is something quite expected. However cleaning an emerald without being aware of it's properties can cause permanent damage to the gemstone.

The image above shows an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, it is one of the common devices used to clean gemstones and jewelry. When turned on, an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner generates high frequence ultrasonic waves. The jewelry or gems placed in the jewelry cleaner, gets cleaned as any dust or dirty clinging to the jewel or gemstone is 'loosended' by the ultrasonic waves. This seems like a fairly harmless process we however, need to understand what happens when emeralds are put in the ultrasonic cleaner.

There are two facts related to emeralds that influence the effect that ultrasonic cleaners have on emerald gems and jewelry. The first is the fact that all emeralds have natural fissures and cracks. It is not uncommon for some of these fissures to extend right up to the surface of the gemstone. Even if they are below the surface, they could be just too near to the surface. Another thing about emeralds is that, they are almost always (98% of the time), treated with natural oils. The natural oils seep into the fissures and softens their visibility. This is responsible for imporving the beauty and lustre of the gemstone. Let us know analyze these 2 facts and relate it to the cleaning of emerald gems in ultrasonic cleaners.

When the emerald gemstone is put into the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and the device turned on, the ultrasonic waves pass through the gem. They could expand the fissures and cracks in the emerald, this effect could be so severe that the gemstone could break into pieces. The oils in the emerald put there by the enhancing treatment could also be pushed out of the fissures and ooze out of the gemstone. This is surely not good for the emerald and will negatively affect it's beauty. This is why emeralds should not be cleaned in ultrasonic cleaners.